The Riddler
by roseblack123
Summary: In the year 2019 during a Weasley family reunion, Lily Luna Potter unknowingly throws herself back into a time she knows nothing of, where her only real confidant is Albus Dumbledore, and is constantly haunted by nightmares and a strange voice. If only she knows what she has set herself up for... eventual Tom Riddle/Lily Potter cannon
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the cannon or any of the original characters, just the plot! Hope you guys enjoy! Also, pretty please review and let me know how to improve it!

* * *

It is the night of the family reunion, and after weeks of spring cleaning, the Weasley house was finally in decent condition for the event. Tired but satisfied, the family gathers around the fireplace, most of them with a Butterbeer in hand.

"Hey George, fancy a cup of tea?" Ginny asks.

George turns around to face her. "You're going to have to speak up, Gin. I only have one ear now, you know."

She rolls her eyes. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

He nods. "Thank you."

"You know, I'm just glad to be back home now. Mind you, I love Hogwarts and everything, but I don't mind escaping homework for a bit," James yawns, leaning against the wall.

Lily Potter purses her lips, hiding her jealousy. At the tender age of eleven, she has just a couple months left before she, like her brothers James and Albus, can finally ride the Hogwarts Express to the legendary school. Finally, she will be able to actually use her wand, conjure her own spells, and explore the many mysteries of Hogwarts.

"As if you actually do any homework," his brother murmurs.

The whole room erupts with laughter. It's no secret that James, like his grandfather of the same name, is just a troublemaker. He does make excellent marks, no doubt, but he is more likely to complain about homework than actually do any.

James's face reddens. "For your information, _Albus_, I actually have been studying lately. We were discussing the concept of time travel before the school year ended, and I found it cool enough to keep studying it this summer. Some books claim that it doesn't matter what you do, the future has been written and cannot be changed. However, theoretically, if you do go back, you can rewrite everything."

"So if I go back in time, I can stop you from jinxing me in the corridors?" Albus asks.

James rolls his eyes. "That's pathetic, but yes, you can. You can also do something dangerous though, like change someone's life, destroy relationships, even erase your own existence…"

"James, that'll be enough," his father, Harry, warns.

Ron frowns. "Why? I think this is interesting. What would you do if you went back in time?"

"Depends how far back. I would probably just live my life, but try and stay away from my ancestors. The last thing I want is to freak them out and change our lives forever," James explains.

"What would you do, Daddy?" Lily finally pipes up.

Silence falls over the entire room, each eye directed at Harry. All of the adults know exactly what Harry would do if, given the opportunity, he went back in time.

But Lily doesn't know about the truth. She knows that Harry's parents had died a long time ago, but nothing about their murders, about Lord Voldemort, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione's feats. She's far too young to be exposed to a past so dark, one that will have to be revealed soon enough.

Soon enough, but not yet.

Harry forces a smile, trying to lighten the situation. "Well, honey, I would do the same as your brother. It's quite a responsible option. I'm surprised you came up with it, James."

James rolls his eyes. "You all underestimate me so much."

Molly Weasley glances at the clock. "My goodness, is it that late already? All of you kids, head to bed now!"

"But Grandmother –," James starts, but the look in her eye says it all. Grumbling, he joins the others and makes his way up to his room, which he shares with Albus and their cousin, Hugo Weasley. Lily and her cousin, Rose Weasley, make a turn, heading into the room that they share.

Once in their room, Lily quickly shuts the door and jumps onto her bed excitedly.

"Do you think it's true? Can time-travel really be possible?" she inquires.

Rose simply smiles. "I don't know, Lily. Perhaps it is. You know I'm not that far ahead yet. If James was being serious, then I'm sure that it involves some very advanced magic, the kind that is probably not possible for most of us. There's a reason he said it's only a theory."

"Yes, but the Muggles believe that the Big Bang is a theory, too, but it's probably true, isn't it?" Lily says.

Rose's tinkering laugh echoes throughout the room. "Okay, well if you're going to add Muggles and their beliefs into the equation, then yes, I believe you're probably right. But as I have already mentioned, it's probably going to be far too advanced for just anybody to conjure. It wouldn't be theoretical if everyone could do it."

Lily strokes her newly bought wand, considering the option. At thirteen and a half inches, made of elk and the core of a hair from the tail of a unicorn, her wand is certainly considered to be quite powerful, just like her own father's.

But could it possibly be enough?

"Don't be silly. These are just ideas. For all we know, this "theory" may just be a story someone came up with in a dream and decided to make some money out of by claiming to be a fact," Rose reads her mind.

Lily shrugs. "Wouldn't it be fascinating, though? I would love to go back in time for a little bit."

"And may I have the honor of knowing what you plan on doing?" Rose chuckles.

Lily rolls her eyes. "I wouldn't interfere the slightest bit, but I would love to watch how Mummy and Daddy met and fell in love. Plus, didn't Daddy take part in the Triwizard Tournament? I would love to see how he did!"

Rose's eyes widen, her expression switching from jokey to solemn. "Lily… you don't want to go to that time."

"I know, I know. Dark times. Many people died. But still… I wish I could see the good parts," Lily sighs, knowing full well that there's no way anyone would understand her view.

Rose doesn't pursue the topic further. "We should go to bed. It's getting pretty late."

Lily nods, lying on her bed. "Goodnight, Rose."

"Goodnight," Rose calls, putting out the light.

No matter how much she tosses and turns, no matter how much time passes by, Lily simply cannot fall asleep. There's something about the theory James mentioned that allures her so much. Something about it almost makes her feel as if that's a part of her future.

_Don't be silly_, she chides herself. _Rose has already mentioned it several times. It's just an idea, and most likely a fictitious one at that._

_But wouldn't it still be incredible for it to be true?_

Sitting up, she takes her wand in her hands and resumes stroking it. The second she reaches Hogwarts, she simply has to find any books on the subject and devote herself to them. Maybe, just maybe, she may even be able to research it for a career.

Her thoughts travel to the stories she has heard about the 1900s. The second half of the century had been plagued with much darkness, though she never learned the details. Her parents feel like she is too young, and her siblings and cousins are forbidden from uttering a single word about it.

What about the first half, though? That has to be interesting. Something must have definitely occurred then which would have led to the disasters in the second half. What if someone could actually go back in time and fix the problem?

Lily is so engrossed in her reverie that she doesn't notice the change in temperature of her wand, nor the light yellow sparks it has started to burst. Rose, on the other hand, wakes from the flickering.

Her mouth falls open in horror. "Lily! What are you doing?! You know you can't perform magic outside of Hogwarts!"

Finally snapping out of her dreams, Lily focuses on her wand. "What's going on…?"

"Stop it right now!" Rose demands.

"I'm not even trying to do anything!" Lily screams, scared out of her mind. She has never even attempted to perform a simple spell, let alone something that can ignite sparks. The sparks only continue to grow, becoming both brighter and more powerful.

The door flies open, and Harry and Ginny barge in. Their expressions instantly match that of Rose's and Lily's.

"Daddy, help me!" Lily screams, tears streaming down her face.

"Honey, let go of the wand," Harry soothes, but she's far too afraid to do anything more than just shudder. "Let go."

Attempting to compose herself, Lily prepares to drop her wand and hide behind her father. Before she can move, however, the wand gives out one last burst of light, blinding her.

After what feels like hours, the light finally dies out, revealing her surroundings. Harry, Ginny, and Rose are nowhere to be found. In fact, the entire room has disappeared. Lily finds herself sitting on the sidewalk of a dark, deserted street in the middle of some downtown area.

Could this be London?

She scans the unfamiliar surroundings, hunting for any clues of her whereabouts. Nothing helps. None of the street names click in her head.

It doesn't make sense.

"Ah, but it does indeed," a voice says gently.

Lily spins around fearfully, wishing she had at least tried to memorize a couple of spells. Even though she has no idea how to conjure them, perhaps she could get lucky and save herself.

An old man stands behind her, his long auburn hair and beard starting to show streaks of white. His blue eyes gaze down at her, studying her behind those half-moon spectacles. Unlike muggles, this man is dressed in blue robes.

Lily has heard of this man so many times, except he looked infinitely older in the pictures she had seen. He has been revered by all of the adults in the family, to the point where her brother was named after him.

"Professor Albus Dumbledore," she whispers his name in awe. "You're alive."

He smiles down at her. "Of course I am, Lily Potter. You are now in the year 1937."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the cannon or any of the original characters, just the plot! Hope you guys enjoy! Also, pretty please review and let me know how to improve it!

* * *

Lily's mouth falls open. This cannot be real. How can she possibly perform such advanced magic when she's just a little girl, one as inexperienced as her?

"That's not possible," she mutters. "This is just a strange dream. I need to wake up."

"My dear, you are very much awake. I knew you were coming, but you are a little late. I was expecting you to arrive a couple days ago," Dumbledore says.

She shakes her head. "Why am I here? How did I get here? How do I get back?"

Dumbledore places a hand on her shoulder gently. "Would you like to take a seat? Perhaps we should talk."

Nodding, Lily slumps onto one of the steps outside the orphanage. Dumbledore joins her.

"Your parents are Harry and Ginerva Potter, am I correct?" he asks. She nods, staring at her hands.

"How much did they tell you about the past?"

She shrugs. "They think I'm too young to know most of it. I just know that the second half of the 1900s was full of darkness, and that's all."

"Do you know how your paternal grandparents died? About your parents' adventures?" he interrogates. She shakes her head to all of them.

Dumbledore's brow creases. "They really should have mentioned at least some of it…"

"Professor, how did I get here? How do I return?" she urges.

He gazes down at her sadly. "Your wand is much more powerful than you know. Somehow, you have evoked the most ancient form of magic there is, magic so complicated and old that most have forgotten even exists. What did you do before you came here?"

She frowns. "I was stroking my wand and wondering what the 1900s were like, and what I would have liked to see if I could go back in time."

"There you go. You are a very powerful witch, Lily Potter. Even I don't know how you did it, but something about the combination of your acts evoked the magic. I wish I could help you return, but unfortunately I do not know how, nor, to my knowledge, are there any books on the subject. Unless you can figure out how to return by yourself, you will be stuck in this time period forever," Dumbledore delivers the one set of words Lily did not want to hear.

She doesn't even know what it was about the combination that helped her get into this particular year in the first place. She wanted to go back to the 1990s, not the 1930s. Even if she did the same combination again with thoughts of the future, she may end up a few decades ahead of her time.

"Why am I in this year? I wanted to be in the 1990s," she asks.

Dumbledore shuts his eyes. "If you're here instead of your desired time period, then I believe you were meant to come back in time. You have a purpose here."

"What is it?" she whispers, shivers running down her spine.

"It's getting late. I think you should best be on your way for now," he responds, clearly unwilling to tread the topic any longer.

That doesn't help Lily's tension. She's in a time period she doesn't know the first thing about, through a process she unknowingly performed, and now she's being told that she has a purpose here, one that even Dumbledore himself would prefer to not talk about.

Lily's stomach tells her that she's going to be sick.

"Have you ever heard of a boy called Tom Riddle?" Dumbledore inquires. She shakes her head.

"He lives in this very orphanage. Like you, he's an eleven-year old who will be leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow. It would be good for you to stay here and befriend him. At least, this way you will have a new friend," he suggests.

"But Professor, all my books and supplies are back in the year 2019," she reminds.

"Not to worry, Lily. Everything has been prepared for you in the orphanage. All you have to do is to enter and find your room," he smiles.

She nods. "Thank you so much, for everything."

He returns the nod. "I will see you in Hogwarts."

As he heads out, Lily turns around and calls, "Professor? How did you know I was coming?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes simply twinkle. "I may not be able to perform the magic required for time travel, but I can certainly detect traces of that magic when someone else travels."

Before she can ask anything else, he disappears with a loud crack.

She stares at the spot where he was last standing, contemplating whether to cry or to relax. There have to be some positive aspects to this. For example, she does get to go to Hogwarts two months earlier. That's something to look forward to, right?

The idea of not having her brothers there frightens her. They both promised (well, at least Albus did) to keep her company until the sorting and help her out through her first year. Instead, now she's going to be there all alone and no form of support whatsoever.

Her thoughts drift back to what Dumbledore said. There is a boy named Tom Riddle in the same orphanage she will be living. He's probably right; perhaps it would be best for her to befriend him. At least, this way she won't be alone when she makes mistakes.

Nervously, she knocks on the door. A couple minutes later, a woman, probably the matron, opens the door. Her face falls into a frown the moment her eyes fall on Lily.

"Ms. Potter, may I know where you have been for the past two days?" she demands, hands on her hips.

"I…" Lily ransacks her brain for an excuse. "I was out with Professor Dumbledore. He had to talk to me about a school he's letting me join."

This news doesn't seem to surprise her, but her expression softens. "Right, of course you were. He did mention that you will be attending the same school as Mr. Riddle. I don't believe you have met, though, have you?"

Lily shakes her head. "Could you introduce me, since we are leaving tomorrow?"

She glances at the clock. "Well, considering it is 8:30 pm, and your bedtime is at 9, I don't see a problem. Follow me."

The woman leads Lily up the stairs, down a couple of halls, chatting merrily as she does. "I'm Mrs. Cole, by the way, and I'm the matron here."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cole," Lily says.

Mrs. Cole finally stops outside a door and knocks. "Tom, dear? You have a visitor."

A couple seconds later, a boy slightly taller than Lily opens the door. His light skin contrasts with his dark, wavy hair and dark brown eyes. He barely glances at Mrs. Cole before he begins studying Lily.

"This is Lily Potter. She will be going to that school with you tomorrow. Perhaps it will be good for you to acquaint with each other," she suggests, leaving the two of them alone.

Tom waits until Mrs. Cole is out of sight. "So, you're a witch?"

Lily nods. "Are you a Muggle-born?"

"Muggle-born?" he stares at her curiously.

"It means that both of your parents are non-magical folk, but you're a wizard," she explains.

"Oh… I don't know. If one of them are magical, then it has to be my father. My mother…" Tom's voice trails off. Lily searches for a trace of pain in his eyes, but his face remains ever so expressionless.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she whispers.

He shrugs. "Would you like to come in?"

Tom shuts the door behind her as she enters his room. His room consists simply of a bed, a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe. Lily takes a seat in the chair while he sinks into his bed.

"How did you end up here?" he inquires.

Lily pauses. Two scenarios play in her mind. On one hand, she could confide in this boy and hope that he will become her best friend. On the other hand, she considers James's words.

_I would probably just live my life, but try and stay away from my ancestors. The last thing I want is to freak them out and change our lives forever._

There's so little she truly knows about her ancestors. Her great-grandparents are probably children at this time. She hardly even knows anything about her own paternal grandparents, let alone great-grandparents. What if this boy is somehow connected to her ancestors and she erases her own existence?

She chooses to hide the truth until she has been in Hogwarts long enough and knows the truth. "My parents died when I was five. I don't really know much about them at all. I've been switching from orphanage to orphanage every couple of years. They find my magical abilities to be freaky."

He nods. "I know what you mean. Everyone here thinks I'm a freak because of what I can do. The difference is, though, that they don't kick me out."

"Lucky you. I wish they wouldn't kick me out. It's not like I can control it," she says.

It is, after all, the truth. The time-traveling is certainly the first "controlled" magic that she has ever performed. All of the other occurrences were by chance and out of her control.

Tom raises his eyebrows. "Really? I can control mine. I can make animals do what I want, and even talk to snakes."

Her mouth falls open. "You can talk to snakes? You're a Parselmouth?"

"If that's someone who can talk to snakes, then yes," he replies. "But how do you know so much about the wizarding world? You grew up in orphanages too, right?"

Lily wishes she can kick herself. She has to stay careful. If she acts like she knows too much, she will blow her cover, and it doesn't help that this boy already seems to be suspicious enough of her.

She rolls her eyes. "I was five when they died, not two. I did see magic until then, you know? They've mentioned these things to me before."

He seems to believe that. "That's true. I don't know anything about my parents. I have been living here since the day I was born."

"Since the day you were born? What happened?" Lily blurts.

Clearly it turns out that she's treading dangerous waters. "I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind. Anyway, it's almost nine. Mrs. Cole won't get off our backs if you don't go to your room now."

She nods, getting to her feet. "It was nice meeting you, Tom. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," he says, leading her out.

Tired but feeling a little better, Lily makes her way to her room and curls up on the bed. If she truly has to be stuck here until she can discover a way back, then at least now it wouldn't be so bad. At least, now she can talk to someone, anyone.

At least, now she has a friend.

Her weariness only serves to help her fall asleep faster, but the moment she does, she succumbs to a haunting nightmare, one that makes her wish she never fell asleep...


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for leaving reviews! You guys are awesome!**

**I'm sorry that this chapter came in a little later than I wanted it to. Unfortunately, I have been becoming increasingly busy, and will probably have to start limiting the amount of chapters I can post at a time! I will definitely do at least one chapter a week, but will try my hardest to upload more than one chapter a week if possible!**

**This chapter is definitely far longer than the other two chapters, so just a small heads up about it. Please please review and let me know what you think!**

**Thank you so much, you guys! Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

_The dark night hangs over the graveyard, increasingly making it difficult to discern as the time ticks by. Lily scans the grave, unable to recognize the place. There's no way she has been here before._

_Noticing a gravestone with a statue, she strides towards it, inspecting the details of the deceased._

_Tom Riddle. Died in 1945._

_She's right. There's no way she has been here before._

_Suddenly, a boy slams towards the gravestone, narrowly missing Lily. A piece of the statue cracks, trapping him between the arm and the gravestone by the neck._

_"__Let me go!" he screams._

_For some reason, the boy doesn't see her. In fact, when she tries to remove the arm, it doesn't budge._

_What's going on?_

_She peers closely at the boy. He looks incredibly familiar… too familiar._

_Lily claps her hand onto her mouth, unable to breath. The boy is none other than a younger version of her own father, Harry Potter._

_"__You!" he growls, glaring at the man in front of him._

_This man has dark brown eyes and stringy hair on his head with oversized, rat-like teeth. His arms carry a small parcel of some sort wrapped in a black blanket._

_Sauntering towards her father, the man drops the parcel into a large, black cauldron between him and Harry. Lily's heart begins to race as the man recites an eerie, haunting chant._

_"__Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"_

_A small piece of bone rises from the grave, causing Lily to yelp as she jumps back. The man levitates the bone into the cauldron, turning the potion blue._

_"__Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master!"_

_The man removes a knife from his cloak, rolling the sleeve of one of his arms up. Squeezing his eyes shut, he chops his hand off, dropping it into the cauldron._

_Lily wants to shriek herself, but no sound comes out of her mouth. She has heard this chant before. She has definitely seen this before. But when? There's no way she has actually been in this graveyard before._

_"__Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe!"_

_Lily mouths the words alongside the man, confirming her suspicions. She knows this chant without a doubt, but there's no knowing how._

_The man grabs Harry's struggling arm and slashes it with the same knife. Blood oozes down his arm, which the man collects on his knife and adds to the potion._

_"__The Dark Lord shall rise again!"_

_The Dark Lord… who is the Dark Lord? Why doesn't she know about him? Clearly he's someone influential of her past, considering her dad was merely a teenager then._

_Has she really been sheltered too much? Could her parents really have hidden so much from her? But why? Did they want her to believe that the world is perfect?_

_Steam rises from the cauldron, reducing the visibility down to zero. After what feels like an eternity, the steam clears up. Standing in the presence of the servant is a tall man so pale his skin may lack pigment, and tiny slits for a nose._

_Whoever this "Dark Lord" is, he is a monster._

You're next_, a voice whispers._

_She spins 360 degrees, searching for the source. None of the men are looking at her – in fact, none of them even seem to notice that she exists._

You've made the wrong choice, Lily Luna Potter. You will suffer the consequences, and they will be far worse than anything you can ever imagine. This scene is nothing compared to what awaits you_, the voice continues to taunt._

_"__Who are you?!" she screams, still being blatantly ignored by the only people in sight._

Your worst nightmare_, the voice chuckles. _But don't you worry, little girl. Feel honored! You will be the first one to face his wrath.

_Lily smirks. "Oh, but you're wrong. The Dark Lord apparently isn't present in my time."_

You're right, he isn't_, the voice continues. _But you're in his time now.

_Instead, she bursts into laughter. "Actually, I'm currently in a year almost forty years before my father is born, and considering he's a teenager in this scene, I doubt this Dark 'Lord' is even going to be born anytime soon."_

Silly girl_, the voice snickers. _You have made a grave mistake by meddling with time. You will suffer just as those before you, or rather, those who will after you…

_Deep down, she can feel that the voice is telling her the truth. As bizarre as the scene unfolding in front of her is, there is a sense of honesty in its words. What if the Dark Lord doesn't die from old age? What if he can't?_

_Other questions hang in the air, too. Why does she know the chant? Why is she watching her own father now duel with this Dark Lord? No one in her family has even breathed the phrase to her before. So, how can she know what has occurred in her father's secretive past?_

_The more she contemplates, the more fear grips her heart. The voice must be right, but that doesn't help her. Who is the Dark Lord? How will she ever know how to avoid him when she doesn't even have a name to begin with?_

You will suffer… you will suffer… you will suffer…

_"__Shut up!" she screeches, cupping her hands over her ears and falling to her knees. "Just shut up! Not a single word out of you!"_

Wake up… wake up…

_"__Get out of my head!"_

Lily! Lily Potter! Wake up!

_The voice fades into the distance, leaving her with the last scene of her father dueling this Lord. She watches as he grabs someone's body and a trophy, disappearing out of sight._

"Lily! Wake up! Are you alright?" a voice quivers as a pair of hands shake her.

Her eyes fly open. No, she's not in the middle of a graveyard with her teenage father and some snobby, regenerated wizard. She's still within the safety of the orphanage.

Mrs. Cole stares down at her. "Oh thank goodness you're awake! I was so worried about you."

"What happened?" she murmurs groggily, her head spinning as she attempts to sit up.

"You were screaming in your sleep. Mrs. Cole has been trying to wake you for the past ten minutes," another voice says.

Lily spins her head 180 degrees so fast that she cricks her neck, grimacing at the pain. Sitting next to her is the boy she met the night before – Tom Riddle.

_You will suffer… you will suffer…_

This is ridiculous and evidence of paranoia. He's just a boy, not a crazy psychopath. It has got to be unhealthy for her to believe that every wizard she meets is the future Dark Lord.

Besides, who is she to say that the scene was even real? This is the first time she has even dreamt of something like that, and it was nothing more than a dream. What if everything was simply a figment of her imagination, and those days did not really even involve her family too much? Surely her family would have told her if it really was a crucial part of her family's history… right?

"Sorry, I was just having a nightmare," she mumbles, unable to look at either of them. The last thing she wants is for them to see how red her face is starting to become.

Mrs. Cole smiles. "Not to worry, my dear. Now, get ready as soon as you can, and have some breakfast downstairs. Today is the big day for both of you!"

Energy suddenly rushes through her veins and tingles on her fingertips. Of course today is a special day – it is her very first day at Hogwarts. How can she have forgotten?

"I'll be right down!" she responds much more enthusiastically.

Relieved that Lily still has her sanity, Mrs. Cole and Tom give her the privacy she needs and leave the room, closing the door behind them. Before long, Lily finds herself all ready and pushing her trolley down King's Cross Station.

Tom frowns at his ticket. "Platform 9¾? There is no such thing as Platform 9¾."

"Sure there is! Look, it's right there," Lily points to the wall separating Platforms 9 and 10.

Tom raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You're pointing to a wall and claiming it to be a platform."

She scoffs. "To a school of magic, right? Then wouldn't it make sense that the platform is hidden to Muggles by magic, too?"

Without waiting for a response, she runs towards the barrier, bracing herself for the impact she know won't come. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself next to the Hogwarts Express.

Tom follows in soon after. "Okay, I will give this one to you. Very clever."

"Why thank you," she smirks.

Dozens of families swarm around their children, hugging and kissing them goodbye. Lily can't help but overhear many parents promising to write to their children, making jealousy soak her mind.

That's the only thing missing from her idea of the perfect first day of Hogwarts so far – she wanted to spend her last few minutes in London with her parents. After that, Rose was going to let her join her group of friends in her compartment so that she wouldn't feel completely alone and make some new friends.

Instead, here she is, eighty years back into the past, watching families having last-minute bonding sessions while she's already on the train, taking her pick of the mostly all empty compartments, with a boy she knows almost nothing about.

It doesn't help that her time travel and her true identity must remain a secret between her and Professor Dumbledore. This means that, no matter how homesick she feels, she must pretend like she's completely fine.

If there's one thing that's certain about Lily Potter, it's that she doesn't like to hide her emotions. She's the kind of person who will freely talk to everyone about her feelings, opinions. Here, she's having to do the complete opposite.

Could any part of her be real in this forsaken time period?

Tom shuts the compartment door behind him as he joins her, taking a seat across from her. "How did you know that the barrier leads to the platform?"

Great. Another lie. "I've been here before. My parents used to bring me here whenever we were seeing my cousins off with my uncle and aunt. It was some strange family tradition."

His brows furrow. "If you have an extended family, why do you live in an orphanage?"

This is exactly what Lily is starting to despise her predicament more and more. The longer she stays here, the further her lies are taking her. It won't be long before she will have to fabricate every little detail of her past (future?) and her life to suit this period.

She turns her head away. "They only ever liked my parents, but not me. After my parents died, they refused to take me in. And if you don't mind, I would really rather not talk about my family."

Fortunately, he doesn't pressure her any further. "I'm sorry. I understand what you're feeling. I don't really talk about my family, either, although that's because I don't know anything about them."

She nods curtly. "Perhaps you could find some clues at Hogwarts. Maybe your parents may have won some awards and you could find archives of them."

He considers the option. "Maybe. It has to be my father, though. There's no way my mother was a witch. She… she died when she left me at the orphanage. If she was a witch, then she wouldn't have died so easily."

Lily's heart goes out to him. It's one thing to know that her parents are there in the future, waiting for her, but it's another thing to know that his mother is dead for sure.

"And your father?" she asks.

He stiffens. "I don't know anything about him, except that I was named after him. I will have to hunt for a Tom Riddle when I get there. If he's not, then I guess I'll be a Muggle born."

"I'm sure you'll find some record of him. Maybe, if he's alive, you can even meet him," she suggests.

His face finally bears some expression, turning dark. "I'd rather not talk about that part, if you don't mind. And also, I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this piece of my history. I told you because you live at the orphanage too, and everyone there knows anyway."

Ouch. That stings a little. And to think that she believed he was telling her out of friendship.

Then again, she hasn't even known him for a day, and she has much bigger secrets of her own. How can she blame him when she has decided to keep her own lips sealed?

"I won't tell a soul," she promises.

As the minutes tick away, the train slowly starts to fill up with students, most of them with their groups of friends. It isn't long before all of them are filled.

A trio walks past their compartment a few times, probably hunting for an empty compartment in vain. Once the train starts moving, however, they stop by Lily and Tom's compartment and knock.

"Do you mind if we join you two?" one of them, a blond haired, emerald green eyed guy, asks.

"Not at all," Lily responds with a smile, glancing at Tom. As usual, Tom's face remains expressionless.

She takes that as a yes from him.

The blond guy sits next to her, leaving his two friends to sit next to Tom. Lily notices as Tom stiffens at their closeness to him.

"I'm Augustine Smith," the blond guy introduces himself. "These are my friends Jasper Watson and Philippa Rhinestone."

The dark haired, light blue eyed male by the name of Jasper smiles shyly. The chestnut haired, hazel eyed girl – Philippa – stretches her hand across and shakes it with Lily's.

"Pleasure to meet you both," she says, extending her hand to Tom, only to receive an awkward handshake in return.

"Pleasure to meet you too. I'm Lily Potter, and this is my friend Tom Riddle," Lily introduces. The trio acknowledge Tom, who nods curtly to each of them.

Jasper studies Lily's and Tom's robes. "First years, I see. Do you know what house you would like to be sorted into?"

"Houses?" Tom asks, suddenly interested.

Augustine stares at him curiously. "Are you a Muggle born?"

"Yes," Tom chooses to lie.

Philippa's smile widens. "Oh, how wonderful! I'm a Muggle born myself. When you reach Hogwarts during your first year, you are sorted into four different houses. There's Gryffindor, which is for the brave, and then Ravenclaw, which is for the smart, and Slytherin, which is for the purebloods, and finally Hufflepuff, which is basically everyone else."

"Purebloods?" he asks.

"Wizards whose ancestors have always all been wizards," Jasper explains.

"I hope you both will be in my house. I'm in Ravenclaw," Philippa says.

Augustine grins at Lily. "Or rather, you two should be in Gryffindor with me and Jasper instead. Anything's fine, though, as long as you're not in Slytherin. Those people are simply the worst."

"Hey!" Lily grumbles. "My b – my cousin was in Slytherin."

That was a close call, almost telling them about Albus. Another blunder and she would have accidentally blown her cover.

Fortunately, no one seems to have noticed. "Oh really? Who's your cousin?"

She looks away, cursing herself silently. The last thing she wants to do is to expand on her lie.

She cannot thank Tom enough when he saves her from this dilemma. "Actually, we don't really like to talk about our families."

"Oh…" Augustine's face falls. "I do apologize for this, then."

"It's nothing to worry about," Lily responds, silently planning on how to subtly thank Tom without his knowledge.

The rest of the train ride goes by swiftly without many new events. In fact, even Tom finally loosens up and joins in the conversation. Before long, the large, black castle comes into sight.

Lily catches her breath gazing at it. She has been waiting her whole life for a chance to enter that very castle and now, after eleven whole (well, almost) years, there it is, right in front of her eyes. Finally, she will be living her dream.

Finally, she will be able to use magic at will.

* * *

**Oh Lily, if only you knew what your dream signifies. At least on the bright side, she's finally on her way to Hogwarts! Which house do you guys think she will be in? Will she get to be in any of the same ones as her new friends, or will she be in one completely different?**

**Again, please please review and let me know what you guys think! Thank you so much! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I managed to find some time and have typed up another chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep reviewing, it's much appreciated!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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The moment she gets off of the train, Lily heartily begins to appreciate her current situation.

If she was in her time period, and Rose had let her join in with her group, then all of her friends would be at least second-years. That means that they will be taking the carriages to Hogwarts, whereas she will be all alone when taking the boats with the other first-years.

At least, right now she has Tom with her.

On the other side of the train is a pitch black lake whose depth can only be imagined. The bright, white moonlight shimmers on this very lake, reflecting the night's beauty. Behind the lake is a large, looming castle with bright lights peeking from the windows.

Tom's eyes widen with fascination. "Have you been here before?"

"No," Lily responds honestly, equally attracted to the scene before them.

"First years! This way! Five to a boat, please!" a scrawny little man squeaks, snapping the pair out of their trances. Shaking off the awkwardness, they follow the rest of their year towards the boats.

These wooden boats look fairly small, but the moment Lily sets foot in one, she realizes how much larger it truly is. There is more than enough room for ten people, let alone five. Tom joins her in the seat next to her, looking just as surprised.

"I like magic," he mumbles.

It only continues to get better. Once all of the first-years are seated comfortably in their boats, the boats start floating towards the castle by themselves.

"I take that back, I love magic," he mutters under his breath. Lily smiles and looks away.

The closer they get to the castle, the more beautiful it seems to become. Each stone of the castle shimmers under the moonlight, glazing each jagged edge. Despite the old-fashioned design, it only serves to feel more and more like home.

The same scrawny man ushers them in, leading them through a hall and stops them right outside two great, oak doors.

"Behind these doors is the Great Hall. That's where you will be having all of your meals. This is Professor Dumbledore, and he will be taking care of you from now," he explains.

Lily forces herself to stay stoic despite her overwhelming relief. Professor Dumbledore is the only one who knows the truth about her, after all.

"Good evening students. I am Professor Dumbledore, and today, you will be sorted into your houses. When your name is called, please sit on the chair set up for you and relax. Once your house is called, you may join your housemates, who will be like your family throughout your time here at Hogwarts," Dumbledore takes over.

Taking in a deep breath, Lily follows the rest of the crowd into the Hall, finding that it is already filled with all of the older students. Her two new friends Jasper and Augustine wave to her and Tom from the Gryffindor table. As it turns out, she's the only one who waves back.

"Ackland, Melissa," Dumbledore calls.

A large, rather confident girl shoves her way towards the chair and allows Dumbledore to place a brown, raggedy hat on her head. A couple seconds later, it screams out the anticipated word.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The left end of the room bursts into cheers and applause, while the other tables have a scattered applause. Melissa saunters towards the Slytherin table, shaking hands with her new family.

The next few people carried on in the same process, some to Gryffindor, some to Hufflepuff, some to Ravenclaw, and some more to Slytherin. Finally, Dumbledore utters the dreaded name.

"Potter, Lily!"

She chews her lip, uncomfortable at the idea of having the whole school watch her. Her fear vanishes instantly the moment Tom pats her hand comfortingly.

_So he does actually have real emotions after all._

Feeling a lot better, she strides to the seat, ready to get it over with. Instead of screaming out a random house, however, the hat starts talking to her… in her head.

_I know who you are. I do not know why you are here, but I will trust that Professor Dumbledore knows the truth about you._

"He does," she thinks back.

_Then I will do my job, and hopefully you will be on the right track. Now, let's see… hmm, definitely see some brains there, plenty of courage, I see, oh, and a thirst to prove yourself, eh? Difficult, very difficult… you're so like your ancestors, you know?_

Pride rushes through her body, coursing through her veins. Her respect for her family has never faltered, and hearing that she's quite a bit like them only makes her feel better… especially since she misses her living family so much.

_You are here for a reason, Lily Luna Potter, even if you don't know it yet. For your destiny, it will be best if you are in… _RAVENCLAW!

The hat bellows out the last one, causing the house next to the Slytherin table explode with applause. Lily scampers to her new house, sitting in the spot across from Philippa and between two first years she doesn't know.

"Riddle, Tom!"

Blood pounds in her ears, increasing her anxiety. As if she doesn't already have enough of her plate figuring out what the hat means by "here for a reason", now she has to worry about Tom, too. This boy is her first friend here, and will basically be her only friend all summer. All the hat needs to do is to send him her way…

Instead, even before the hat barely touches his head, it screams out his house.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Her shoulders sag. Great. Slytherins have never been popular – not during her time, nor her father's time, and judging Philippa's reaction, definitely not even now.

"Blimey, and I thought he was okay," she breathes.

"You know him?" the boy sitting on Lily's right asks.

"Oh yeah, he was on the train with Lily over here," she explains.

The girl on Lily's left stares at her quizzically. "Why were you being friends with a Slytherin?"

"I didn't know he was going to be a Slytherin. And besides, he's still very friendly, even though he's rather quiet," Lily defends.

The boy gasps in horror, earning himself several glances from students nearby.

"Oh, her cousin is apparently a Slytherin. That's probably why she doesn't hate them as much," Philippa reasons.

That isn't enough for the boy. "Who is the scumbag?"

Lily's cheeks redden. Although she doesn't have a male cousin in Slytherin, she does have a brother, and he's definitely no scumbag. This boy is literally starting to beg for a punch in the face.

Philippa glares at him sternly. "Hey, we don't use that sort of language in this house. It's none of your business."

Lily glances at her gratefully, her mind drifting back to Tom. He sits between two boys called Abraxas Malfoy and Trevor Nott. His eyes meet hers, revealing his contentment at his table.

Well, at least he doesn't know about the social rules here… right?

Headmaster Dippet rises to his feet, silencing the hall with just that motion.

"I would just like to make a few start-of-year announcements. To all of our new students, welcome! And, to all of our returning ones, welcome back! Hogwarts is a place of learning, so I would like to emphasize that magic is not permitted in the corridors. Also, the Forbidden Forest is banned to all students, as the name clearly states. Besides that, dig in!"

The empty plates on the tables magically fill themselves with all the kinds of food that Lily can only dream of. Steak and kidney pie, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and so much more lines along the table.

Without hesitation, Lily fills her plate with food.

"I'm Rosie Saunders," the girl introduces herself, sending homesickness up Lily's skin.

Rosie… just like her favorite cousin Rose.

"Lily Potter," she responds, doing all she can to prevent her voice from quivering.

She can't help but feel conflicted about her current predicament. Whether she is here in 1937, or in 2019, she will still miss her family, but this situation is just different from the other. There, at least she can write to her parents and see familiar faces, but here, she is all alone, without any knowledge on how to return home.

"Nice to meet you," Rosie nods.

"I'm Crispin Clearwater," the boy says.

Lily returns the nod politely, reaching over for a piece of chicken. The second she grabs it, however, she drops it in fright.

The head of a ghost has just appeared.

"Who… who… who are you?" she whispers.

Philippa beams. "Hello Gray Lady."

She nods. "Hello Philippa. How has your summer been?"

"It's been wonderful, thank you," Philippa responds.

Lily inspects the ghost called the Gray Lady, wondering what her real name is. James and Albus have mentioned her before as the quiet, antisocial Ravenclaw ghost no one knows much about, but she has never seen what she looks like.

The Gray Lady is dressed in tattered clothing, most of it stained with blood in various regions. Her wrists and ankles bear chains that drag after her as she floats around the table. Her thin, lanky hair wilts on her shoulder, only intensifying her depressing look.

What could she have possibly endured to end up in such a pitiful state?

The more Lily stares at her, the worse she feels. The Gray Lady drifts to the other end of the table, Lily's appetite slipping away with her.

But no amount of sorrow can completely steal her appetite when there's chocolate in front of her. The entrees disappear, replacing with all sorts of desserts that can possibly come to mind. Treacle tarts, chocolate frogs, strawberry shortcake, and so much more adorns the golden plates on the table.

"This is amazing!" she exclaims blissfully.

Crispin smiles. "Ah, yes. Young love. You and the chocolate."

"Shut up," she giggles, flicking a little bit of chocolate onto his face. He turns his face just in time to receive some on his cheek instead of his nose.

"Oi! You lot! No food fights allowed," a prefect barks.

The two of them blush. "Sorry."

The feast ends soon after, leaving Lily tired and sleepy. As she files out with the rest of the Ravenclaw house, she catches glimpse of her friend Tom.

Surprisingly, he's already surrounded by a group of boys avidly hanging onto his every word.

That's different. He has always seemed so much more introverted around her, but here he is, instantly becoming the star of his group. Lily can't help but wonder what he's talking about.

Lily climbs up some stairs, noticing how some of them move from time to time, while others have traps, such as a fake stair or one that can works like quicksand. Before long, they reach the Ravenclaw tower, where the door stays sealed shut.

"For those of you who don't know, we Ravenclaws don't have a password. Instead, we have to answer a riddle," the prefect leading explains.

Lily shudders. "What happens if we don't get the answer right?"

"Then you wait until someone else who can answer it comes," he responds simply, sending shivers down her spine. Riddles have never quite been her thing, and now she will basically never be able to enter the tower alone.

"Give me food and I will live, but give me water and I will die. What am I?" the door asks.

Lily freezes. There is no way she can ever answer a question like that.

"Fire," the prefect leading says.

"Welcome back," the door responds happily, swinging open.

The common room consists of a fireplace with cozy armchairs sprawled all around the room. Near the fireplace is a large, overlooking statue of Rowena Ravenclaw wearing her famous diadem. Lily heads straight towards the girls' dormitory on the left, ready to fall on her bed and get some sleep.

Three other girls join her in the same dormitory, most of them as tired as Lily, except Rosie, who attempts to make conversation with all of the others. Philippa saunters into her own dormitory with some second-years, chatting just as merrily.

Too tired, Lily chooses not to socialize and simply lies on her bed, allowing sleep to engulf her. The second she gives into the temptation, she regrets the decision.

_The same scene from the previous night haunts her, watching her father pinned to the gravestone by the arm of a statue. The rat-man chants the words, sending shivers down her spine._

_Why does that chant sound so familiar? Where has she heard this before?_

You will suffer… you will suffer…

_"__I am a Ravenclaw. This must mean I'm too smart to fall for your games!" she claims, positive that her response probably strips her of the right to be in Ravenclaw at all._

_The eerie voice is replaced by the Sorting Hat's voice instead._

You are here for a reason, Lily Luna Potter, even if you don't know it yet. For your destiny, it will be best if you are in… RAVENCLAW!

_"__But what is my destiny?" she yells helplessly, knowing fully well that she will not receive a response._

_Instead, the old, haunting voice returns._

You will suffer… you will suffer…

_Ignoring the voice, Lily chooses to pay attention to the scene unfolding before her instead. She watches as her father duels the creep in front of him, surrounded by a group of cloaked men. Ghosts erupt from the spot where their spells collide, speaking to him, although she cannot hear them._

_What can this scene mean?_

Lily wakes with a start, feeling jittery but considerably better than the previous night. After having spent two nights watching the same scene and hearing the same taunt, the words begin to have a smaller effect on her.

Two of the beds are already empty. To Lily's right, a jet-black haired girl is sitting up, stretching her arms.

"Good morning," she smiles. "I'm Gwendolyn Edgecombe."

"Lily Potter," Lily returns.

Gwendolyn gets out of bed and heads to the bathroom. "Potter? That name sounds familiar. If only I can wrap my finger around where I've heard it before…"

Lily's heart races, sending adrenaline rushing through her veins. Of course her ancestors will be here in Hogwarts as well. There will certainly be other Potters around at this time.

"It is a fairly common last name. I wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty of other Potters out there," she responds nervously.

Gwendolyn doesn't seem to notice. "That's probably it. Anyway, this is Sabrina Lovegood. Sabrina, meet Lily Potter."

A tall girl with dirty blond hair – Sabrina Lovegood – stands next to Gwendolyn by the sinks, nodding to Lily. "Nice to meet you."

Rosie leaves one of the stalls, her eyes falling on Lily. "Hey!"

"How are you so cheerful this early in the morning?" Lily yawns. Rosie sniggers.

"It's the first day of classes, Lily. How can I not?" she smirks.

Lily rolls her eyes. "It doesn't mean I like to be up this early."

The next thirty minutes go by swiftly with all four girls clambering to get ready for their first day. Together, they head down to the Great Hall, where the tables are already laden with food.

"Oh look, we're finally getting our schedules!" Sabrina beams, pointing to Professor Flitwick, the head of the Ravenclaw house, as he saunters down the table, handing each student a schedule.

He hands one to each of them, far too busy to say anything to them as he passes by them. The four of them study their schedules.

"Hmm… so over the week, we have Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration with the Slytherins, Charms, Astronomy, and Herbology with the Gryffindors, and History of Magic and Flying with the Hufflepuffs," she reads.

Rosie groans. "Three classes with the Slytherins? This is going to be torture!"

"Not when there are Slytherins like that hunk over there," Gwendolyn giggles, nodding her head towards the entrance of the Great Hall, where Tom Riddle saunters in, still surrounded by his circle of friends. A group of giggling girls trail after him.

Sabrina smiles. "You know, Rosie, I did agree with you at first, but I change my mind. If it means I get to see him in three classes, then I'm perfectly fine with it."

"What would I give to have a chance to talk to him," Gwendolyn chimes in dreamily.

Rosie chuckles. "You can easily talk to him. He's Lily's friend."

Sabrina and Gwendolyn's mouths fall open. "You know him?"

Lily shrugs. "Yeah I met him over the summer."

"Oh, you lucky girl!" Gwendolyn squeals.

"You will introduce us, right?" Sabrina whispers excitedly.

"Yes, of course," Lily laughs.

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**So not too much happens in this chapter, except that Lily does make a few friends. Tom is already the star of the Slytherin house even before his first day of classes, and has girls from every house crushing on him even though he's a Slytherin. What do you think will happen in the next chapter?**

**Please leave reviews for the chapter - they really help out! Thank you so very much! You guys are the best!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the late update! I know I said once a week, but finals for my summer courses are coming up and I'm preparing for the fall and things are rather crazy! I promise that I will work on this and update as much as I can, but I cannot really say how long each update will take. Stay tuned!**

**Also, please please review! They really help out!**

* * *

The four girls chatter away over breakfast, making Lily feel more and more at home. It's not so bad living here, she decides. Although she would much rather be home, she comes to the conclusion that she has no right to complain about her situation.

"Lily," a male voice says softly from behind.

Rosie openly gasps, and Gwendolyn bites her lip excitedly, resisting the urge to giggle uncontrollably. Lily turns around, coming face to face with her Slytherin friend.

"Hello Tom. How are you today?" she smiles up at him.

"Fine, thanks. I was wondering if you would like to go to Transfiguration with me, since we both seem to have it together."

Her smile widens. "Of course."

Bidding her excited friends goodbye, Lily slings her bag along her shoulder and follows Tom out of the Great Hall, who seems to be desperate to leave. The second they leave the Hall, his pace slows down dramatically.

"I saw that you're quite the star of the House last night," she teases.

He offers her a small smile. "It's not quite as interesting as you are claiming it to be. But yes, I did make some friends. I see that you've made some of your own."

She nods. "Yeah. How are you liking your House?"

"Fine, you?"

She simply shrugs. He seizes the silence as the opportunity to begin speaking of what he actually wanted to discuss with her.

"I've been hunting for any awards and signs that my father may have attended Hogwarts last night and all of this morning."

Lily stares at him in surprise. But why was she surprised at all? He mentioned that his father must have been a wizard, and it only makes sense that he wants to learn more about his own origin.

"Did you find anything?" she asks.

He shakes his head. "There isn't a single Riddle under the awards. I do know that there are many newspaper archives and books on people, especially purebloods. He has to be in there. Even if I'm a half-blood, I must have at least one pureblood parent to have made it into Slytherin."

Lily rummages her brain to find an exception, but finds none. The only non-pureblood that she knows in Slytherin is her own brother, and since her grandfather, James Potter, was a pureblood, Albus only serves to fit under Tom's theory.

Perhaps he's right. Maybe his father is a pureblood. There's no harm in hunting for him there.

"That's a good idea. I'm sure you'll stumble across something."

He chuckles sadly. "I hope so. Would you like to help me?"

Lily considers the option. It's quite possible that his idea is flawed and they may waste too much time looking for a name that isn't there. But on the other hand, this time may help strengthen their friendship. And for all she knows, they might actually succeed in discovering who Tom Riddle is.

She can't crush his hopes, not when she has hopes of her own – hopes of returning to the time when she really belongs.

"Yes, I would," she responds.

His smile broadens. "Thank you. I truly appreciate it."

The two of them reach the Transfiguration class a little early. They lean against the cool stone wall, waiting for the previous class to end.

A small smile plays on Lily's lips. This class is taught by none other than Professor Dumbledore himself. Perhaps she will get the opportunity to speak with him after class about her secret dilemma.

As the class before them ends, the students file out in groups of twos and threes, ignoring the duo waiting outside. Once the last student leaves, Lily and Tom shuffle into the class.

Dumbledore beams at them. "Ah, Miss Potter and Mr. Riddle. How have you been?"

Both of them simply nod awkwardly in response.

"Hey!" a voice calls from the doorway.

Lily glances up to find that her three friends have made it to class as well. Gwendolyn and Rosie take a table in the back row towards the left, while Sabrina takes the one next to them. She smiles up at Lily expectantly, raising her eyebrows suggestively at Tom, whose back faces her.

Lily rolls her eyes, resisting the urge to giggle.

Tom sits at the table at the very front row in the middle. He jerks his head to the seat next to him, completely ignoring the giggling girls in the back of the classroom.

Lily's eyes shift from Sabrina to Tom. His expression has changed from the friendly, calm one to one that is cold, almost annoyed. Something about him grips at Lily's heart… fright.

Without a second thought, she sinks into the seat next to Tom, unsuccessfully ignoring Sabrina's pout.

"Is something wrong?" Lily whispers.

He continues to gaze coldly straight ahead. "Those are your friends from breakfast, aren't they?" She nods.

"I'm your friend. Why do you bother spending your time with them? You have me."

She stares at him curiously. His voice is laced with ice, thickening the tension around them so much that she can virtually cut it into slices. Lily sincerely hopes that she is misinterpreting his intentions. There's no way that he's upset with her for making other friends, right?

"What do you mean?" she asks.

He finally turns to face her, glaring at her. He isn't just being cold and distant; he is actually seething with rage. Darkness clouds his eyes. The temperature of the room seems to drop. Shivers run down Lily's spine, raising every hair on the back of her neck.

She squirms in her seat, nervously edging backwards.

"You don't need them, and nor do you need those who we met on the train last night. I don't know why you're giving them so much of your time and energy when you can do that with me instead."

She frowns. "I agreed to help you find your father in the library, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I'm sure that it'll take up much more time than we would like to think. Come on, Lily. You are the only friend that I have here," he says.

"That's not true. You have so many in your House."

He almost snorts. "They are not my _friends_. They are just some first years who think it's cool that I can control some of my magic already. Apparently, they can't quite do that yet. It doesn't mean that I can talk to them about just anything."

Lily remains silent for quite a while. Tom basically just told her that he sees her as a special friend. That's why she knows about his background, and that's why he is seeking her help. There's just something about the way he phrases his words, something about how his voice sounds, that makes her believe every word he just uttered.

"Alright then," she nods. "I'll hang out with you more."

"Good," he responds, smirking.

Good. Not a thank you or anything appreciative. It's like he expects her to submit to him and do his every bidding, and if she lets him have his way, he will stay respectful.

Why on earth is she still sitting next to him?

During their conversation, the classroom slowly filled up so that by the time it ended, Dumbledore was ready to begin his lesson. Today, they were learning how to transfigure something extremely basic – matchsticks to pins.

Lily smiles widely, forgetting her confusion with the boy next to her. Finally, she will now have the chance to actually try her hand at controlled magic.

If she can excel at controlling her magic and find a book on the magic of time travel, she may even be able to return home safely. The idea is so appealing that she decides to ace every single task that she dabbles in.

Of course, life has other plans for her.

Lily points her wand to her matchstick and utters the spell. Instead of turning into a pin, however, it turns into a watermelon.

Her mouth falls open with shock. How could her magic be so far off?

Dumbledore stares at her watermelon curiously. "Try that again."

This time, it changes into a dancing ladybug.

Tom frowns. "How are you doing that?"

"If only I had the answer to that question," she responds, feeling rather miffed.

"Here, let me try," Tom says. He points his wand to his own matchstick and casts the spell.

The matchstick turns into the desired pin.

This only serves to worsen her mood. "How are _you _doing that?"

"If only I had the answer to that question," he teases her, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Dumbledore peers at the pin, surprisingly not delighted that Tom excelled on his first try. "Very good."

Lily continues to practice, but it only continues to go downhill from there. She makes it a guitar, a radio, a quaffle, and even a pair of shiny, glass heels. It's almost as though her wand is determined to make it absolutely anything but a pin.

By the end of class, Lily simply loses all hope that she will ever be able to return to her true home.

"You go on. I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore," she says to a waiting Tom. Nodding, he heads out of the room, leaving the old professor and girl alone.

Lily sighs. "Professor, why am I doing so poorly? How can I be so bad at magic? You told me that only a truly skilled wizard can do what I did."

He raises his eyebrows. "My dear, do you really believe that you aren't doing well?"

She resists the urge to scoff. "Look at Tom! He could do it on his first try! He already has his entire House going crazy over him. He's the sort of person you would expect to be this talented, not me. There has to be some mistake. Something must have happened that night and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't even know why I'm in Ravenclaw, considering I can't even perform a basic spell."

"Tom Riddle is indeed a powerful wizard, but you mustn't compare yourself to him, or anyone else. You must believe in yourself. Your classmates were not even able to change their matchsticks at all. Size matters in transfiguration, and you created massive objects. You even made a live creature by that rather flexible ladybug. You have more power than you realize, my dear. You simply need to learn how to control it."

Lily ponders over his words. The night of the time travel, she did not mean to actually end up in the past. Now, she turned her matchstick into things she did not quite desire. It makes sense. Besides, this is Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard that ever lived! There's no way that he can ever be wrong.

"How?" she whispers.

He simply smiles. "Alas, it will take much time and effort. You are so powerful for someone so young, and your power will only continue to grow. The Sorting Hat did well by placing you in Ravenclaw. Your friends will help you control it."

_Yeah_, she thinks sourly. _If Tom wouldn't be so melodramatic about them._

"Thank you," she returns the smile.

"Of course. If you ever need to speak to someone, you are always welcome to come to me, my dear," he says.

"Thank you so much. I truly appreciate that," she says honestly.

Packing her belongings, she leaves the room. Tom leans against the wall next to the door, repeatedly checking his watch every few seconds.

"You didn't have to wait," she says, surprised.

He shrugs. "I figured that I could probably walk to your next class with you."

She frowns. "I have Charms with the Gryffindors, not Slytherins."

"And I have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, but it doesn't mean I can't walk you to your class. After all, what are friends for?"

She considers his words. They aren't false, after all. He was the one who stayed back for her, not the Ravenclaws. In fact, after she chose to sit with him instead of Sabrina, how does she know that they don't resent her?

"Thanks," she says, descending the stairs with him.

"Anytime. So listen, I'm planning on going to the library right after dinner. Would you like to join me then?"

She chews on her lower lip. "I would be honored, but I'm not sure if I should. As you saw, I'm dreadful at spells and really need to practice…"

He smiles charmingly. "Don't worry about that. I can help you with those, too."

That's probably better than asking the Ravenclaws for help. After all, Dumbledore himself said that she and Tom were the only ones who were able to make any changes to their matches at all. Tom will know what he's doing.

"That sounds like a plan. Thank you, Tom. You are too kind."

"Kind is my middle name," he smirks.

"Ha ha," she rolls her eyes amusedly. "Mine is Luna."

"That's a beautiful middle name. My middle name is Marvolo, actually."

Tom Marvolo Riddle. Why does that name sound so familiar…

"That's unique," she notes.

The pair stop outside the Charms classroom, stepping to the side to allow other students into the room. A small smile plays on his lips, sending shivers down Lily's spine. She can't explain what she's feeling. It isn't exactly discomfort, but it isn't soothing, either.

"I'll see you later," he nods.

"See you," she returns the nod, watching him as he turns and heads down to the greenhouses.

She enters the classroom and scans for a spot. Surprisingly, Gwendolyn saved her a spot.

Tom was wrong. They are indeed her friends. They wouldn't be upset with her over something as petty as sitting with him.

"You are such a lucky girl. I can't even begin to explain," Gwendolyn greets Lily as she sinks into the seat next to her.

"Seriously. He's gorgeous and smart, _and_ he asked you to join him? Your life is perfect," Rosie says dreamily.

"Can I please be you?" Sabrina giggles.

Lily rolls her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. "It really isn't as exciting as you guys are making it. He's just a friend."

"Just a friend who pays special attention to you. Don't deny it. We saw that he was waiting for you after class," Rosie points out.

Lily's cheeks turn scarlet. "I don't know why he did that, but you are getting the wrong idea. We're only eleven, for Merlin's sake!"

"Eh, I think it's old enough," Sabrina yawns.

"Alright class, settle down," a tiny man in midnight blue robes squeaks, levitating himself onto a high stool so that everyone can see. "I am Professor Flitwick, and I will be teaching you Charms. Today, we will be conjuring one of the most simple charms – the Levitating Charm. Now, does anyone know the incantation for it?"

A few students raise their hands. Flitwick nods to a blonde Gryffindor.

"Wingardium Leviosa," he says.

"Excellent! Ten points for Gryffindor!" Flitwick squeaks excitedly. "Remember, always swish and flick, just like that."

He points his wand to a feather on the desk in front of him and swishes his wand in a vertical semi-circle, then flicks his wand as he says the incantation. Immediately, the feather lifts off the ground, going higher as he wills.

"Now, you try!"

Suddenly, Lily doesn't feel so well any longer. She's now sitting with three other Ravenclaws, all who will expect her to be as well as them. The last thing she wants is to be judged by her lack of control.

Unfortunately, there's no way out.

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**This is a bit of a cliff-hanger, I know, but I will certainly try and update as soon as possible! Please review! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I'm so very sorry for taking so long to upload this new chapter! I completed my last summer final and had to move in for the fall semester at my university and classes and I have been all over the place, but I will stop making excuses now and I'm back! This chapter is a little bit longer than the others, so I hope that makes up for the delay! Enjoy!**

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"Ooh!" Gwendolyn giggles with delight as she levitates her feather on the first try. It doesn't go up as high as she desires, but at least it leaves the table.

"Charms is so much easier than Transfiguration," Sabrina says, making her feather flip on the table.

"I absolutely agree. This feather isn't giving me any issues at all. But that matchstick? All that happened was that it turned a little silver," Rosie grumbles.

Gwendolyn rolls her eyes. "Rosie, your matchstick did not change at all. Even Professor Dumbledore said so."

"Oh, come on! He's brilliant and all, but he's still an aged man. His eyesight cannot possibly be as good as ours," Rosie scoffs.

The other girls sigh, choosing to drop the subject. Lily listens in eagerly, hoping to delay her own performance as much as possible.

Unfortunately, her luck runs out much quicker than expected.

"Lily! Why aren't you trying?" Sabrina asks.

Lily turns a little pink. "I? Oh, um, well, you see –"

"Come on! It's really fun! You're going to do great," Gwendolyn assures.

_Oh, how wrong she's going to be_, Lily thinks to herself bitterly.

Not finding a way out, she relents. This is it. This is her moment to show her friends what she can really do. All her wand has to do is to listen to her and do as she asks…

"Wingardium Leviosa!" she calls, aiming her wand straight for her feather.

The four of them stare eagerly at the feather as it twitches a little. Lily's heart swells with joy. Even if her spell hasn't been perfect, it has been so much closer than in Transfiguration.

"Try lifting it up!" Rosie encourages excitedly.

Determined to prove herself, Lily tilts her wand upward, training her eyes on the feather. Much to her dismay, the feather simply continues to twitch.

"_Ahhhhhhhhh!_" a high-pitched scream reaches her ears. Lily's eyes shoot up, finding themselves on the center of the commotion.

The reason her feather isn't flying is because Professor Flitwick is, instead.

The entire classroom bursts into laughter, cheering for the unknown caster. Lily gasps, dropping her wand in surprise. The spell breaks, sending Flitwick crashing into her desk.

"Ugh…" he moans, slowly getting up to his feet. No longer do his eyes hold the friendliness, replaced by anger.

"Detention, tonight at eight in my office. I don't let students off just because it is the first day of school," he huffs, jumping off of her desk. Too furious to teach, he ends the class early right then and there.

Lily's three friends watch her intently as she packs, dismayed.

"Are you okay?" Sabrina whispers. Lily simply nods.

"Why'd you do it?" Rosie urges.

Gwendolyn glares at her. "I'm sure she didn't mean to do it. You didn't, did you?"

Lily shakes her head, blinking back tears. This day has been the worst she has ever had to endure. First, she embarrassed herself in front of the smartest first-year, and now in front of all the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first years. The last thing she wants is to talk to anyone.

Grabbing her bag, she leaves the class alone. Outside, someone waits for her, but it isn't Tom.

It's Crispin Clearwater.

"That was incredible! How'd you do that?" he asks excitedly, getting in Lily's way.

"I didn't mean to," she mumbles.

His face falls a little, understanding her emotions. "Hey, you should be glad that you could do it at all. That wasn't as easy of a charm as Flitwick claimed it to be. It's incredible that you could levitate him, even if it was an accident."

"Yeah, yeah," Lily chews on her lower lip, training her eyes firmly on the gray, stone ground. There's nothing incredible about being able to perform powerful magic when there's simply no control at all.

"Why don't we go down to the Great Hall for lunch now?" Sabrina suggests, catching up to the duo with the two other girls.

"Good idea," Crispin nods.

The five of them saunter down to the Great Hall, chattering about everything but classes to get Lily's mind off of her performances in the classes. Unfortunately, the harder they try, the more Lily struggles to think about anything else.

There is always the library she can go to. She isn't really hungry, anyway, having lost her appetite from her sour mood. At least she can focus on finding a way home and away from this mess once and for all.

"Lily!" a voice booms.

She spins around in surprise, snapping out of her dreary reverie. Standing there are Augustine and Jasper.

Augustine grins broadly, striding over and placing his arm around her shoulders. "Fancy seeing you here. Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Flitwick released us early," she half-lies.

Jasper raises an eyebrow. "Flitwick did that? But, he never ends class early! He always releases us a little late."

"He was feeling generous, since we are first years," Rosie jumps to her aid. Lily shoots her an appreciative smile.

Augustine doesn't seem to notice that anything is amiss at all. "Brilliant! I must say, I do envy you. None of our professors have ever done something so pleasant for us."

Crispin nods, catching onto the lie. "Perhaps he was simply in a jolly mood today."

"Of course he was," Jasper mutters, not believing the lie at all. Taking in a deep breath, he forces a friendly smile and drops the topic. "Would you five like to join us for lunch today?"

"That would be wonderful," Sabrina responds.

The Gryffindors lead the Ravenclaws to their table, where the occasional student is scattered. A few of them glance in the direction of the large group, muttering under their breaths. It's not rare for students to mingle among houses, but five from a different house at once is certainly not a common sight.

Augustine sits a little too close for Lily's comfort. She shifts nervously to the side, accidentally bumping into Crispin.

"Oi! Watch it!" he grumbles.

"Sorry," she mumbles.

"I can't believe it's already lunch time of our first day. Time seems to fly by so quickly, doesn't it?" Gwendolyn comments, cutting through her chicken.

Jasper chuckles. "Before you know it, your first year will be over."

Rosie gasps dramatically. "Oh, but I don't want to grow up so fast!"

Lily freezes. That's a section that she hadn't considered. Of course, she was planning on finding a book on time travel, even if Dumbledore claimed to not know of one, but never did the prospect of aging cross her mind.

Will she age like the others? Will she return home several years later, looking like the teenager she may be at that time? What if she comes home when she's in her sixties? Would she even want to return by then?

Worst of all, what if she doesn't age? What if she stays frozen at eleven until she reaches her normal time? People will notice her state soon enough, and her secret will not stay hidden forever. There is, of course, the option to run away and live in a cave, but that will completely seal off any hope of finding a way back home.

Gwendolyn is right. Time flies by much faster than they expect, and that's something she will never have enough of. Each second that ticks away changes her just a little more, and the last thing she wants is to come home as a completely different person.

"I have to go," she says, getting to her feet.

Crispin studies her curiously. "Is something the matter?"

She shakes her head. "I'm just not hungry, and I have some work to do. I will see you in History of Magic."

Before anyone can say anything to her, Lily slings her backpack along her shoulder and strides towards the library. There has to be something, anything in there. If there's one thing she knows, it's that the Hogwarts library has always been a place where every type of book can possibly be found. Even if she cannot find one that fully explains her dilemma, there has to be one that mentions it, at least.

Lily pushes past the doors, practically barging into the library. She ignores every questioning look from her peers and heads straight for the back of the library. Only after she reaches the last row, she finds a flaw to her strategy.

She has none. There's no knowing where her jackpot may be lying.

"Time travel," she murmurs.

She walks through endless aisles, searching for any book that starts with the word Time. Much to her surprise, there isn't a single one that matches her query.

How can that be possible? James had actually been studying it! There's no way that some authors can have done such extensive research on an almost-dead topic in such a short span of time.

Something is very wrong. Whatever it is, she has to find out.

Grabbing her bag, she scampers down to Dumbledore's classroom, ignoring the fifth years who practice their own transfiguration projects. Their glances of curiosity and surprise hardly bother her at all.

"May I please speak with you? Now?" she pants.

He stares at her quizzically. "Of course, my dear."

Dumbledore leads her up the small set of stairs behind them, opening the door to his office in front of him. Lily sinks into a chair.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

She sits up, ready to vent. "Professor, my brother will be studying these time travel theories in the future. That means that there have to be some sort of books out there on them, and they are more than likely to be by different authors. How can so many authors find so much evidence in less than a century, considering there's nothing now? There have to be some books on them now, right? Why aren't they in the library?"

He listens to her patiently, but the flickering of his blue eyes suggest his annoyance. "My dear, as I have already told you before, I do not know much on this subject myself. If your brother will study this theory in the future, then these authors will deal with a real time traveler."

Lily's eyes widen. "You mean me?"

He nods. "I believe that all the books written in the future on this subject are based on you. They may not know your name, or perhaps you will ask them to refrain from using it, but my belief stands. You will have to discover your way back on your own, with my help, of course, but first, you must learn to handle your own magic. You cannot let mishaps occur again, like the ones in my and Professor Flitwick's classes."

Her cheeks redden. "You've heard about it, then?"

"Oh yes. Professor Flitwick feels that you were attempting to provoke him. I will suggest that you explain your situation to him and allow him to help you."

She ponders the idea. He is the head of Ravenclaw, after all. That must count for something, right?

"I will do so. Shall I also ask Tom? He seems to know what he's doing."

Dumbledore's eyes darken. "I would advise you against asking him to help you with something so drastic. He may be able to help you with homework, but a project of this level should be kept between you and your professors."

Shivers run down her spine. Something about the way Dumbledore phrases his words make her believe that he doesn't trust Tom at all. But why? What has Tom done to offend him so greatly? He has done her no wrong.

On the other hand, Dumbledore is still the wisest wizard out there. He must have his reasons, even if he doesn't feel the need to divulge them to her.

"Thank you," she nods.

"Of course," he responds, leading her out of his office.

Now that she feels a lot more relaxed, the open stares from the fifth years finally start to get on her nerves. She quickens her speed, failing to keep her cheeks from turning scarlet. By the time she leaves the classroom, lunch time has ended and it is time for class – double History of Magic.

"I can't believe you skipped lunch!" Sabrina pouts as Lily dumps her belongings on the table next to hers.

"Your boyfriend was looking for you," Rosie sniggers.

Lily is so surprised that she completely disregards Rosie's remark. "Tom was looking for me?"

Gwendolyn shoots Rosie a glare. "Yes, he was. We told him you went to the library, and then he left."

Throughout the rest of the class, Lily can't help but wonder why he keeps trying to spend most of his time with her. It makes sense that she's his only friend as of right now, but that's why he will have to try to make new friends, the same way she did, right?

It doesn't help that Professor Binns does not have her attention at all. She had heard that he dies and continues as a ghost in the future, but right now, even while he's alive, he's just as boring and oblivious as he is in the stories.

When class finally ends, it takes everything within Lily to stop herself from slamming her hands on her desk and screaming, "FINALLY! PRAISE THE LORD HALLELUJAH!"

"That was torture," she whispers.

"I couldn't agree more," Sabrina nods, almost stumbling out of class. "Oh… hello!"

Right outside the door stands none other than Tom Riddle, holding a small plate in his hand. Lily chews on her lower lip, knowing full well that this is where she will have to part ways with her friends.

Surprisingly, Tom acknowledges her charmingly. "Hello. I'm Tom Riddle. What's your name?"

"Sabrina Lovegood," she giggles.

He takes her hand with his free one and presses it to his lips. The expression on Sabrina's face says it all – she is ready to melt.

"Pleasure to meet you," he smiles, gently releasing her hand. "May I please speak with Lily?"

Sabrina's face falls a little. "Oh, yes, I suppose…"

"Of course you may! We will be heading over to the Great Hall, if any of you need us," Gwendolyn finishes for her. Grabbing Sabrina's arm, she marches down the stairs with Rosie, leaving the duo alone.

Lily raises an eyebrow. "What was that supposed to mean?"

Tom returns an extremely innocent look. "I was simply being polite."

"I thought you didn't like them?"

He shrugs. "I don't dislike them. I just need you to spend more time with me, considering you are the only one who knows the truth about me. Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to help me in the library now. I brought you some food."

He hands her the small plate and taps it with her wand. Instantly, food appears on it.

Lily's mouth falls open. "How did you do that?"

"I read it in a book."

Somehow, instead of feeling grateful, Lily finds herself resenting him. He has the level of control and finesse that only a true master of magic can have, something she can only ever dream of having.

The more time she spends with him, the more she considers asking him to teach her.

Perhaps the reason Dumbledore is so concerned is because Tom is, like her, a first year. It's perfectly reasonable for him to worry about involving Tom with something so complicated when he's probably attempting to adjust to his new life, too. But he's simply being overprotective. Tom looks comfortable enough to her.

Forget it. She cannot resist it any longer.

"Tom, I can't control my magic. Dumbledore says I have the potential, but the reason I couldn't transfigure the matchstick into a pin is because my magic is walking all over me. That's also why I have detention with Flitwick already later this evening, because I accidentally lifted him during class from the Levitating Charm. I constantly embarrass myself and you can do everything flawlessly… please help me out."

He stares at her curiously, sending her heart into a frenzy. There's no way he will agree to her plea. Why would he? Even if he's perfect at everything he does, he's still inexperienced. Besides, she just sounded like a desperate little girl struggling with life. No one likes to be around a person like that. If anything, she most likely ruined her chances for a true friendship with him.

Instead, he surprises her yet again. "That won't be a problem. After all, what are friends for?"

There's that line again. _After all, what are friends for?_ He's right. Friends help each other out. She keeps his problem a secret and helps him find out about his family, and he helps her out with her dilemma. That's the kind of dynamic bond she needs right now, especially when she can feel her hope slipping away from her.

But deep down, a small voice reminds her that she is making a grave mistake.

* * *

**So a bunch of things have happened overall, with Lily's mishap with Flitwick, her time with the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, and of course, Dumbledore and our lovely Tommy boy. Things will slowly start to take a twist from here, but that's all I'm going to say for now!**

**I would really like to thank my incredible reviewers for reviewing! Shoutout to **Lovewriting12**, **NKloveNK**,** **and **EriksAngeldeMusica **for reviewing Chapter 1!**

Lovewriting12**: Thank you so much! I'm really happy that you enjoy this story!**

NKloveNK**: I'm glad that you like this! You can bet that I will keep updating as I can!**

EriksAngeldeMusica**: Thank you for pointing that out to me. I noticed it too, but it is indeed part of the plot! We will find out later on why Lily is the way she is.**

**I also want to thank **pesuasion **for reviewing Chapter 2!**

pesuasion**: I do try my hardest to update as quickly as I can! I'm really glad you look forward to reading more :)**

**For reviewing Chapter 3, I would like to thank **ElysiumPhoenix**!**

ElysiumPhoenix**: Thank you so much for your suggestion! I definitely loved hearing from you, and took it into account. If you have any more suggestions, do not hesitate to let me know! :D I'm glad that you've liked this story!**

**Finally, for Chapter 5, I would sincerely like to thank **Potter's Tardis**!**

Potter's Tardis**: I did not catch that while editing, but now that I reread it, I noticed that I did indeed use that far too many times! Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. If you catch any more repetitions, please let me know!**

**Again, thank you for reviewing this story and helping me improve it! Each review really helps me out. Please, review review review! Thank you! Until next time :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I managed to find some time and have typed up another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Also, shout out to my reviewers for Chapter 6, **Potter's Tardis**, **EriksAngeldeMusica**, and **nerdyninjaunicorn**! It really encourages me to upload these chapters faster the more reviews that I get!**

Potter's Tardis**: Thanks for checking! I truly appreciate it!**

EriksAngeldeMusica**: I'm really happy that you're excited for this story to proceed! You will not be disappointed :)**

nerdyninjaunicorn**: Thank you! I'm delighted to hear that you like it!**

**Also - there's a bit of a time lapse here, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Weeks fly by in the blink of an eye, but Tom and Lily both have little success in their own missions. As the time passes, Lily grows increasingly obsessed with her lack of control. Before long, Tom doesn't even have to try and drag her away from her friends. When she isn't in classes that aren't with the Slytherins or in her dormitory, Lily finds herself in the company of Tom. Even her meals are often rushed so that they can continue practicing.

It doesn't help that Tom's help actually turns out to be a little fruitful, after all. Although her professors understand that she needs extra help, most of them do not have the time or the patience that Tom seems to possess. In fact, after spending about four weeks practicing for hours with him, she is finally able to levitate the feather without causing havoc all around them.

She is so surprised that she drops her wand, breaking the spell, but that's the least of her worries. She did it. It took her much longer than she wanted, but nevertheless, success has never been as sweet.

Tom smirks and places a hand on her shoulder. "You see? I knew you could do it. All you needed was lots of practice and a friend who cares."

A friend who cares. Even though it has been four weeks, and even though Lily's time with others is so incredibly limited, Tom still continues to drop in little reminders that he is her only true friend. At first, it used to bother her, but now that she has seen the reward of listening to him, she feels compelled to submit further to him.

"Thank you," she smiles. "Let's try another spell."

He shakes his head. "No, let's look for more clues to find my father now."

Lily resists the urge to sigh. They have browsed through countless books, but there has never been even the slightest mention of a Riddle, not even one. As the weeks swept by, she started to believe that her first thought was probably right. Perhaps Tom is a Muggle born after all, and his theory of Slytherins is flawed. He should simply drop it and move on.

_How could you think like that, Lily? Tom never gave up on you. What kind of friend are you, giving up on him so easily?_

A pang of guilt courses through her. The small voice in her head is absolutely right – she has to continue hunting with him. Perhaps his situation will be just like hers. It may take them a long time, but perhaps they will be successful after all.

With her mind made up, she nods and pulls yet another book on purebloods, while Tom chooses a different one at random. After spending hours searching through the book, Lily's eyes freeze on a particular passage.

"Tom, come look at this," she whispers just loud enough for him to hear. Quizzically, he shuts his book and leans over to hers.

_One of the most well-known purebloods of all time is none other than one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Salazar Slytherin himself. His genealogy was legend – one of the only true pureblood line that never wavered, unlike most others which included at least a half-blood. As of right now, only one last descendant remains._

_The Gaunt family was the last relation left of Slytherin. After the death of Merdain Gaunt, her husband, Marvolo Gaunt, was left to raise his son and daughter, Morfin and Merope Gaunt, alone. Unfortunately, after a ghastly incident with a Ministry of Magic employee, Bob Ogden, and the hexing of a Muggle, Morfin and Marvolo Gaunts were taken into custody, where both were sentenced time in Azkaban._

_It is not known what happened of Merope Gaunt, but after her disappearance years ago, most have concluded that she has perished. Marvolo Gaunt died soon after his release from Azkaban, as the time had taken its toll on him. Morfin Gaunt remains to be Slytherin's last descendant, becoming the only one to bear the legacy._

Tom shivers as his lips mouth the word "Marvolo".

"My middle name is Marvolo," he whispers. "My mother must be Merope Gaunt."

Lily's heart aches for Tom. It only makes sense that he desperately wants to have a sense of belonging, but it does not mean he can think irrationally.

"Tom," she says, squeezing his shoulder with her hand gently. "I know you want to know about your family, but we don't know anything about the Gaunt family or you. This can be a coincidence, or maybe your family were inspired by this Gaunt family and named you after Marvolo while you may not even be related to him."

He glares at the book, clearly refusing to believe her. But instead, he takes in a deep breath and looks calmly into her eyes.

"You may be right, but this is the closest I have ever been to learning more about myself. Thank you for being here for me, Lily, but I think I can take it from here now. We should still keep working with your control, however," he responds.

Lily sighs. Tom is definitely not going to give the other books a chance any longer, now that he is set on finding out as much about this Marvolo guy as possible. Although she has only known Tom for about a month, she can still tell that once he has made up his mind, there is no changing it.

She glances at the clock. It is nearly time for them to return to their dorms.

Tom reads her mind. "Let's pick this up tomorrow, shall we?"

A small smile plays on her lips. Slinging her bag along her shoulder, she makes her way back to the Ravenclaw Tower with Tom.

As always, the door asks her a riddle, and as always, Tom is the one who can answer it, not her.

"If I have it, I don't share it. If I share it, I don't have it. What is it?" the door asks.

Lily scratches her head. "Ummm… candy?"

"Incorrect!" the door responds, remaining tightly shut.

"A secret," Tom says.

"Right as always," the door replies happily, swinging open.

Lily rolls her eyes. "Why am I even in this bloody house when I can't even get in here and you can? We should trade."

Tom smirks. "Ah, but I don't have to be in Ravenclaw to solve riddles. You see, it's in my name."

She can't help but burst into laughter. "Alright, I will admit, that's true. Anyway, you better head back to the dungeons. The last thing you need is more trouble."

"Exactly, considering you are more than enough trouble, as we saw yesterday."

"Hey!" Lily pouts. "It's not my fault the Black Lake's water started levitating. I didn't mean to do that."

"That's like saying it's not your fault you did badly on an essay because 'you didn't mean to'," Tom's lip curls a little further.

Exasperated, Lily pushes Tom playfully. "Leave."

Chuckling, he turns around and makes his way back to the Slytherin common room. Lily takes a few steps in and finds the common room to be completely deserted.

Her fingers fumble slightly with her wand. Could her attempt have truly been successful, or was it just a fluke? There's only one way to find out.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" she places the feather on the desk and points her want at it.

Instead, the couch behind it lifts. She inhales angrily, breaking the spell. The couch slams to the ground, making such a loud noise that she jumps.

Great. Someone will be here soon enough. Lily scampers up the stairs to the girls dorm and shuts the door, pretending to not have been there at the common area at all. She waits for a little bit, but no one comes knocking out of suspicion.

Exhausted, Lily heads straight for her bed and falls asleep within minutes.

_As usual, the dream starts with her father being forced into the ritual, and the silky, taunting voice constantly bothering her. At this point, she has become accustomed to the mental torture and has learned to deal with it._

_Over the past four weeks, the dream continued to grow slowly, revealing more and more of the event. Her father and the creepy snake-man accidentally bring back lots of ghosts where their spells collide. Once the spells break, the ghosts crowd around the snake-man while her father grabs a dead body and uses a portkey to leave the graveyard._

_Closer inspection showed that the portkey is none other than a trophy itself. But what trophy? The Triwizard one? She didn't know whether or not he won, since nobody would tell her anything. All she knows is that he participated, and apparently that was an accidental leak, too._

_Could this entire scene be her mind's opinion of what one of the Triwizard tournament tasks must have been like? The very idea makes her feel sick to the core. What is wrong with her? Why would she dream of something so dreadfully horrid? And the voice that accompanies it…_

_Perhaps this is a cause of the time-travel. The sudden change has altered her so that her thoughts must be subconsciously demented. Yes, that must be it. Fortunately, they are only subconscious, right? She would never actually try anything harmful._

_Right?_

The bright sunlight streaming straight onto her closed eyes jolts her out of her nightmare. By now, she isn't surprised that she is in fact in her dorm and not in the graveyard. Too many days dreaming of the same thing has helped her recognize when she's dreaming and when she's not.

A small gasp escapes her lips when her eyes fall on the clock. It is one in the afternoon. She had promised to meet Tom at the Great Hall for breakfast and lunch.

Jumping out of bed, she rushes to the bathroom and gets dressed. Within thirty minutes, she finds herself in the library – the one place where Tom will be waiting for her, probably with his nose buried in some book.

As expected, that's exactly what he's up to. The difference is that this time, he hastily stuffs the book into his bag once he spots her. She gives him a quizzical look, one which he ignores.

"You missed breakfast and lunch," he notes.

"I was tired," she complains, sinking into the chair next to him. He smirks.

"It doesn't matter. After much research, I have found a solution to your problem."

Lily's eyes widen. How is it that Tom found a way to help her when her own professors, including Dumbledore, couldn't?

"What is it?" she whispers.

"There are a few spells that I have read up on. They are supposedly a lot easier to control than your average spells. Perhaps if we start with those, you will be able to progress better."

She nods. "What kind of spells?"

"Oh, it's a surprise," he smirks, getting to his feet. "And I have the perfect place for you to practice."

"An empty classroom?" she guesses, following him out of the library and up some stairs.

He shakes his head. "You'll see."

They continue climbing several flights of stairs until they reach the seventh floor. Tom leads her to a deserted corridor and glances around, making sure that there is no one else but the two of them around.

Lily frowns. "An empty corridor?"

He ignores her and begins pacing. A couple seconds later, a large, brass door magically appears where there once was a blank wall.

Lily's mouth falls open. "How did you find this place?"

Tom shrugs and pushes the door open. "It's a long story."

The large, spacious room is full of life-size targets, bookshelves full of all sorts of books on spells, and bean bags in various spots. Lily explores the room in awe, running her fingers through the books.

"How did you do this?" she asks.

"I paced outside of it and thought to myself three times, 'I need a place to practice some spells.'"

She freezes. So this is the Room of Requirement. At least there were some things her parents had allowed her brothers to tell her about, although all she knew was that it exists and can accommodate for most needs, not its location and other details.

"Shall we begin?" Tom asks. Nodding, she joins him in the center of the room.

He pulls out a small spider from his robe pocket and enlarges it until it comes up to their knees. Lily secretly thanks her parents for making sure that she was always comfortable with all harmless creatures. She can only imagine the reaction her dorm friends would have if they came across this spider.

"Now, hold your wand out and try casting a spell on it. The spell is _Bolatus_. Keep in mind, you will have to place a lot of force into this spell," he says.

She frowns. "I've never heard of such a spell before."

"Just try it, will you?" he responds, slightly irritated.

"What does it do?"

"You'll see."

Realizing that this conversation is going nowhere, she relents and stares intently at the spider. It scurries all around the room, but never strays too far from them. Taking in a deep breath, she extends her arm and follows Tom's instructions.

"_Bolatus_!" she says forcefully.

A bliss she has never known fills her body, coursing through her veins. Every fiber of her being relaxes, slipping her further into happiness. She strengthens the spell, increasing the strange, addicting sensation. The manic smile on her face only continues to grow.

The spider comes to an abrupt halt and flips over. Large, purple boils the size of Lily's fingers cover its body, causing it to writhe in pain. One by one, the boils burst, oozing a murky, yellow liquid down its body. By the time the liquid has completely covered it, the spider has disintegrated.

At the demise of the spider, the spell breaks, snapping Lily back to reality. Her gaze stays transfixed at the spot where the creature last was.

Mixed emotions cloud her mind. What has she done? She just brutally killed – no, destroyed – an innocent little critter. And what for? Just her own selfish reasons.

But the cool, elating sensation doesn't die out completely. It still nudges at her ever so gently, not forcing her to do anything but constantly reminding her what it once felt like. All she has to do is to cast the spell again and she can return to the sensory overload…

The mixed emotions soon give way to the elation instead. The sensation is far too powerful for her to resist. There is no way she can push it away when it coos to her ever so softly every second.

"That was Dark Magic, wasn't it?" she whispers half-dreamily.

"Correct," he whispers back, standing right behind her so his lips are close to her right ear. "And you had full control. You did what you wanted."

"Mmm," she smiles even more dreamily. "I shouldn't like it so much. Why do I? Does this make me a bad person?"

He chuckles softly. "Absolutely not. It simply makes you a determined person. You're willing to do what it takes to control your magic. Try casting that levitating spell again."

She directs the spell at one of the books in the bookshelves. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

The book in question rises from the shelf, floating wherever she sends it to. After about thirty seconds of playing around, she returns it to the shelf.

"It worked last night too, but it turned out to be a fluke. What if this is, too?" she asks.

"Try it again," he encourages.

This time, she attempts to lift one of the blue beanbags and send it to the other end of the room. The beanbag complies easily without the slightest problem.

"You see?" he says. "If you practice more of this type of magic, you will be able to have a firmer grasp on your magic. I will be more than happy to assist you. In fact, we can do this together."

A small voice in her mind squeals at her to ignore him. Dark Magic is still dark, no matter what the benefits are. Who cares if she feels happy? Who cares if she can complete her hearts desires? It shouldn't be at the expense of others.

She shoves the voice away. It's wrong. She has every right to be happy, and this is the type of magic that will help her return home. Like Tom said, it only makes her a determined person, not a bad person. Besides, she only hurt a spider. It's not like she's plotting on using the same spells on a human being.

"I would love that, Tom. Thank you," she smiles, turning around to face him.

His smirk turns into a broad smile. "Of course. After all, what are friends for?"

* * *

**So, what do you guys think? How far do you think Lily is going to go? Please review and let me know what you think, and definitely any suggestions at all!**

**I will also like to advertise that I have just started another Harry Potter fanfiction that I will also be working on called The Boy Who Killed My Father, which is a Harry/OC cannon. I hope you guys will check it out!**

**One last thing: there will be another time lapse in the next chapter, as more of the intense action will continue on later, when our duo is a bit older. Also, since there will be some sensitive topics, I will be changing the rating of the story to M. I will also make sure to mention which sensitive topics may be in that particular chapter at the beginning so that you will know what to expect, and I will also mark the beginning of that section. Thanks!**


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